Luke Li confirmed his place as New Zealand's top junior player with back-to-back title wins in Auckland this month. He successfully defended his National Junior title with 6½/7 in the first week of the July school holidays and then went on to the North Island Championship in the second week.
Starting with four straight wins, Li lead or co-lead the tournament until the final round. He then accepted a draw offer from New Zealand Champion, FM Michael Steadman, to ensure he won the North Island title. This allowed visting Australian FM Chris Wallis to overtake Li and win the tournament on 7/8. Li finished second on 6½ and taking the North Island Championhip, as Wallis was inelligible. Third was shared by Steadman and FM Robert Smith on 5½.
Today's game was perhaps Li's sternest test during the North Island Championship, when he had to find some good moves to hold the draw as White against top-seeded Smith in the sixth round.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5
In the Benko Gambit Black offers a pawn for harmonious development and lasting postional pressure against White's queenside. 4.cxb5 a6 5.b6 ---
Declining the gambit pawn. By leaving Black's a-pawn, White holds up the activation of Black's bishop and rook, allowing his own development to proceed smoothly. 5.--- Qxb6 6.Nc3 d6 7.e4 g6 8.Be2 Bg7 9.h4!? ---
Black's control of the b-file and long diagonal mean White must seek active play on the kingside or suffer in the long term. This move softens up the Black kingside at the risk of weakening his own king's position. 9.--- h5
Black can't really allow 10 h5 opening the h-file. 10.Nf3 ---
Having provoked the weakening, White returns to conventional development. In the game De Santis – Piantoni 2006, White continued more aggressively with 10 f3 intending g2-g4. 10.--- Nbd7 11.Qc2 Rb8 12.Nd2 Ne5 13.f4 ---
With the dual purpose of enabling Nc4 and advancing the pawn to f5. The drawback of 9 h4 is the knight outpost Black gains on g4. 13.--- Neg4 14.Nc4 Qc7 15.O-O O-O 16.f5 gxf5!
Keeping the f-file closed is more important than weaking the h-pawn. 17.exf5 Bd7 18.Bg5 Bb5 19.Nxb5?! ---
A risky pawn sacrifice to loosen the Black blockade of the kingside. The calm 19 Rae1 looked good, as if 19...Bxc4?! then 20 Bxc4 Qb7 21 b3 Ne5 22 Ne4 is fine for White. 19.--- axb5 20.Ne3 ---
The d-pawn must go, as 20 Bxf6 Nxf6 21 Ne3 Bh6 is great for Black. 20.--- Nxe3 21.Bxe3 Nxd5 22.Bg5 Bd4+
There was much to be said for 22...Nf6! intending to advance his centre pawns quickly (23 Qd1? Ne4! shows that White can't target the h-pawn). The exposed bishop impedes this plan, but Black had another in mind. 23.Kh1 Kg7 24.f6+! ---
Of course after 24 Bxh5? Rh8 25 Qe2 Nf6 26 Bxf6+ Bxf6 it is Black who starts attacking on the kingside. The text sacrifices a second pawn to clear lines to the Black king. 24.--- Nxf6 25.Qf5 Qc8?!
The immediate 25... Rh8 is better. Now White has the interesting 26 Bh6+!? since 26... Kxh6? 27 Qg5+ Kh7 28 Bd3+ wins, but 26...Kh8 27 Bxf8 Qxf5 28 Rxf5 Rxf8 leaves Black with more than ample compensation for the exchange. 26.Qf4 Rh8
Slightly more accurate was 26...Rg8! covering key squares on the g-file. 27.Qg3 Kf8?!
If the rook was on g8 then 27...Ne4! would win, but here meets 28 Bf6+! winning for White. Best was re-establishing the g-file blockade with 27....Ng4! when 28 Bxe7?! Be5 29 Qd3 Qe6 30 Bg5 Bxb2 31 Rab1 Bd4 leaves Black dominant, and 28 Rae1 Be5 29 Qd3 c4 30 Qd2 Qe6 is much the same. The text overlooks a thematic exchange sacrifice, which rescues White. 28.Bxf6 Bxf6 29.Rxf6! exf6 30.Qxd6+ Kg7
Not 30...Ke8?? 31 Re1 winning. 31.Qg3+ Kf8 32.Qd6+ Kg7 33.Qg3+ Kf8
Black accepts the draw by threefold repetition. 33...Kh7 34 Bd3+ Kh6 35 Rf1 Qg4 (35...Qe6 36 Rxf6+! Qxf6 37 Qe3+ Kg7 38 Qg3+ is another forced repetition) 36 Rxf6+ Kg7 37 Qf2 when after 37...Rb7 38 Rd6! ( 37... Rhf8 38 Rf3!) White seems to maintain the balance: 38... Re8 39 Be2! Qxe2 40 Qf6+ Kh7 41 Qh6+ Kg8 42 Qg5+ leading to a perpetual. 34.Qd6+
Double holiday success for top Junior
Problem: Black to play and mate in 3.
Luke Li confirmed his place as New Zealand's top junior player with back-to-back title wins in Auckland this month. He successfully defended his National Junior title with 6½/7 in the first week of the July school holidays and then went on to the North Island Championship in the second week.
Starting with four straight wins, Li lead or co-lead the tournament until the final round. He then accepted a draw offer from New Zealand Champion, FM Michael Steadman, to ensure he won the North Island title. This allowed visting Australian FM Chris Wallis to overtake Li and win the tournament on 7/8. Li finished second on 6½ and taking the North Island Championhip, as Wallis was inelligible. Third was shared by Steadman and FM Robert Smith on 5½.
Today's game was perhaps Li's sternest test during the North Island Championship, when he had to find some good moves to hold the draw as White against top-seeded Smith in the sixth round.
1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 c5
3.d5 b5
In the Benko Gambit Black offers a pawn for harmonious development and lasting postional pressure against White's queenside.
4.cxb5 a6
5.b6 ---
Declining the gambit pawn. By leaving Black's a-pawn, White holds up the activation of Black's bishop and rook, allowing his own development to proceed smoothly.
5.--- Qxb6
6.Nc3 d6
7.e4 g6
8.Be2 Bg7
9.h4!? ---
Black's control of the b-file and long diagonal mean White must seek active play on the kingside or suffer in the long term. This move softens up the Black kingside at the risk of weakening his own king's position.
9.--- h5
Black can't really allow 10 h5 opening the h-file.
10.Nf3 ---
Having provoked the weakening, White returns to conventional development. In the game De Santis – Piantoni 2006, White continued more aggressively with 10 f3 intending g2-g4.
10.--- Nbd7
11.Qc2 Rb8
12.Nd2 Ne5
13.f4 ---
With the dual purpose of enabling Nc4 and advancing the pawn to f5. The drawback of 9 h4 is the knight outpost Black gains on g4.
13.--- Neg4
14.Nc4 Qc7
15.O-O O-O
16.f5 gxf5!
Keeping the f-file closed is more important than weaking the h-pawn.
17.exf5 Bd7
18.Bg5 Bb5
19.Nxb5?! ---
A risky pawn sacrifice to loosen the Black blockade of the kingside. The calm 19 Rae1 looked good, as if 19...Bxc4?! then 20 Bxc4 Qb7 21 b3 Ne5 22 Ne4 is fine for White.
19.--- axb5
20.Ne3 ---
The d-pawn must go, as 20 Bxf6 Nxf6 21 Ne3 Bh6 is great for Black.
20.--- Nxe3
21.Bxe3 Nxd5
22.Bg5 Bd4+
There was much to be said for 22...Nf6! intending to advance his centre pawns quickly (23 Qd1? Ne4! shows that White can't target the h-pawn). The exposed bishop impedes this plan, but Black had another in mind.
23.Kh1 Kg7
24.f6+! ---
Of course after 24 Bxh5? Rh8 25 Qe2 Nf6 26 Bxf6+ Bxf6 it is Black who starts attacking on the kingside. The text sacrifices a second pawn to clear lines to the Black king.
24.--- Nxf6
25.Qf5 Qc8?!
The immediate 25... Rh8 is better. Now White has the interesting 26 Bh6+!? since 26... Kxh6? 27 Qg5+ Kh7 28 Bd3+ wins, but 26...Kh8 27 Bxf8 Qxf5 28 Rxf5 Rxf8 leaves Black with more than ample compensation for the exchange.
26.Qf4 Rh8
Slightly more accurate was 26...Rg8! covering key squares on the g-file.
27.Qg3 Kf8?!
If the rook was on g8 then 27...Ne4! would win, but here meets 28 Bf6+! winning for White. Best was re-establishing the g-file blockade with 27....Ng4! when 28 Bxe7?! Be5 29 Qd3 Qe6 30 Bg5 Bxb2 31 Rab1 Bd4 leaves Black dominant, and 28 Rae1 Be5 29 Qd3 c4 30 Qd2 Qe6 is much the same. The text overlooks a thematic exchange sacrifice, which rescues White.
28.Bxf6 Bxf6
29.Rxf6! exf6
30.Qxd6+ Kg7
Not 30...Ke8?? 31 Re1 winning.
31.Qg3+ Kf8
32.Qd6+ Kg7
33.Qg3+ Kf8
Black accepts the draw by threefold repetition. 33...Kh7 34 Bd3+ Kh6 35 Rf1 Qg4 (35...Qe6 36 Rxf6+! Qxf6 37 Qe3+ Kg7 38 Qg3+ is another forced repetition) 36 Rxf6+ Kg7 37 Qf2 when after 37...Rb7 38 Rd6! ( 37... Rhf8 38 Rf3!) White seems to maintain the balance: 38... Re8 39 Be2! Qxe2 40 Qf6+ Kh7 41 Qh6+ Kg8 42 Qg5+ leading to a perpetual.
34.Qd6+
Drawn
Solution: 1... Qe3+ 2 Kh2 Rh4+! 3 Kxg3 Qe1#.